Yanceyville, NC asked in Traffic Tickets for North Carolina

Q: I got a ticket for passing a school bus in a 4 lanes street. That day fog was extremely dense.

2 more cars ahead of me passed the school bus as well, it was very hard to see that school bus due to the dense fog. The police officer was giving another ticket to the second person and another police officer came (which he didn't see anything) and gave me the ticket. The ticket says the day was with fog.

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1 Lawyer Answer
Amanda Bowden Johnson
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Answered
  • Traffic Tickets Lawyer
  • Jacksonville, NC
  • Licensed in North Carolina

A: This is an extremely serious traffic offense - so just hire a local traffic attorney. However, if you do represent yourself, under no circumstances should you use or even mention that incredibly lame 'fog' excuse. Even on the very extreme outside chance that you are telling the truth and the fog had anything whatsoever to do with it, no one (including me) will likely believe you. Fog thick enough for you not to see a stopped school bus would also have to be thick enough for you not to be able to drive at all. Further, even if you are telling the truth and even if they do believe you - it is totally irrelevant. Most traffic offenses are not intent crimes - it doesn't matter if you did what you did on purpose or even knew you were breaking the law. All that matters is whether you in fact actually illegally passed a stopped school bus - the why part doesn't matter.

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